Quick Answer
Building your first Riftbound deck is the moment the game clicks. You stop following instructions and start making decisions that are yours. Here is how to do it properly, from choosing your Legend to buying the singles you need in Australia. See current prices at /cards/riftbound.
Building your first Riftbound deck is the moment the game clicks. You stop following instructions and start making decisions that are yours. Here is how to do it properly, from choosing your Legend to buying the singles you need in Australia.
Step 1: Choose Your Legend First, Everything Else Second
Your Champion Legend is the single most important decision in deckbuilding. It determines your two Domains (colours), your deck's central ability, and your entire strategic identity. Every other card choice flows from this one.
For your first deck, do not chase the meta. Choose a Legend whose ability you find intuitive and whose playstyle matches how you naturally want to play.
If you want to attack aggressively and score fast: Annie (Fury/Chaos) or Draven (Fury/Chaos). Both reward constant pressure.
If you want a structured, well-documented deck with lots of resources online: Fiora (Body/Order) or Irelia (Body/Order). Both have been competitive since Spiritforged with clear card lists available.
If you want to be reactive and control the game through spells: LeBlanc (Mind/Chaos). High skill ceiling, best for players who enjoy reading opponents rather than pressuring them.
If you want a pure learning experience: start with a Preconstructed Champion Deck (Jinx, Viktor, or Lee Sin around AU$25-35). Play ten games. Then build your own deck once you understand how turns flow.
Step 2: Understand Your Deck's Legal Structure
A legal Riftbound deck contains: 1 Champion Legend (not counted in the 40), 40 main deck cards including 1 Chosen Champion unit, 12 Rune cards, and 3 Battlefields.
All cards must match your Legend's two Domain colours. Maximum 3 copies of any single card.
Step 3: Build Your Unit Curve First
Units are the most important card type. The game is won and lost on Battlefields. As a starting rule, at least 20 of your 40 cards should be units.
The most important unit slot is your 2-cost drop. You want 7-9 copies of 2-cost units in any deck. After your 2-drops, build a curve upward: 3-4 cost units are mid-game threats, 5-6 cost units are late-game finishers (2-4 copies maximum), and your Champion unit (1 copy, included in your 40).
Step 4: Add Spells and Gear Without Overloading
A balanced starting ratio: 20-22 units, 14-16 spells and gear, 2-4 high-cost threats. A common beginner mistake is playing too many spells and running out of units to contest Battlefields.
Step 5: Build Your Rune Deck
Your 12-card Rune deck is your resource base. Count how many cards in your main deck require Power from each colour. If 15 cards require Fury Power, run 7-8 Fury Runes. A 7/5 or 8/4 split toward your primary colour is almost always more consistent than 6/6.
Step 6: Choose Your 3 Battlefields
Battlefields are colourless so any Legend can use any Battlefield. Each has a passive effect that applies to both players.
Step 7: Buy Singles, Do Not Open Boxes to Build
If you know which 40 cards you want, buy them individually as singles. Opening booster boxes to find specific cards is expensive and unreliable.
For Australian players, eBay AU is the primary singles market. Our eBay store carries Riftbound singles with Australian shipping.
Realistic budget for a first competitive deck in AUD: Budget Annie or Draven list (no Overnumbers) AU$60-80, competitive Fiora or Irelia (no Overnumbers) AU$100-130, full LeBlanc with key Unleashed includes AU$130-180. You do not need Overnumber cards to be competitive.
Step 8: Test, Play, Adjust
Build a rough first version. Play at least 10 games. After each loss, ask: what did I not draw that I needed, and what did I draw that I did not need? Cut the latter, add more of the former.
Find local Summoner Skirmish events at Australian game stores to test against real opponents.
Track your Riftbound deck and pulls with our Free TCG Tracker.
Not affiliated with Riot Games or UVS Games. Riftbound and all associated marks are property of Riot Games.
Champion Synergy: Building Around Your Legend
Every Riftbound deck starts with your Champion Legend selection. Your Champion's colour, keyword abilities, and XP thresholds define which cards work best alongside them. Building a deck that doesn't align with your Champion's mechanics produces a weaker deck than building one that does.
Example. LeBlanc (Mind/Chaos): LeBlanc rewards holding Energy open to represent multiple threats. Her deck wants instants, reactive cards, and abilities that trigger when opponents commit. A LeBlanc deck built around fast aggro plays against her strengths.
Example. Jinx (Chaos): Jinx accelerates through explosive combat damage and ability triggers. Her deck wants high-attack units, combat tricks, and cards that reward reckless attack patterns.
Before selecting cards, define your Champion's win condition and build every card slot toward that goal.
The 50-Card Construction Rules
A standard Riftbound constructed deck is exactly 50 cards plus your Champion card and Equipment cards (held separately). Up to 3 copies of any non-Champion card. Your deck must stay within your Champion's colour identity: playing outside it increases costs significantly.
The curve: Plan for a mana (Energy) curve across turns 1 through 5. A deck with too many 4-cost cards will brick on early turns. A deck with too many 1-cost cards runs out of late-game power. The ideal ratio is roughly 8-10 one-drops, 8-10 two-drops, 8-10 three-drops, 6-8 four-drops, and 3-5 five-plus drops.
Equipment Selection
Equipment persists on your Champion throughout the game and upgrades with each rank advance. Equipment choices are some of the highest-use decisions in deckbuilding:
Offensive equipment (higher attack stats, damage abilities) suits Champions that win through fast combat pressure.
Defensive equipment (health bonuses, protection abilities) suits Champions that want to survive to late rank and win with powerful Rank 3 abilities.
Utility equipment (card draw, XP acceleration, disruption) suits control-oriented Champions who win through resource advantage.
Check the C3 Card Compare tool for current AUD pricing on Riftbound Equipment cards and Champions.
Where to Test and Refine Your Deck
The Australian Riftbound community runs consistent weekly events at local game stores in major cities. Testing against real opponents reveals mismatches between your theory and actual play far faster than solo testing.
The Riftbound Discord community has an Australian-specific channel where players share deck lists and provide feedback. After RQ Sydney 2026, the community has become more structured around competitive analysis.
See the C3 Riftbound meta tier list for the current competitive hierarchy in Australia.
The C3 Take
The decisions you make with your TCG collection matter more than most guides suggest. Whether you are buying, selling, or holding, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one almost always comes down to checking current AUD prices before you act. Use the live data at /cards/riftbound to make price-informed decisions every time.
What to Read Next
- Browse Riftbound card prices at /cards/riftbound
- Find your Riftbound champion at /quizzes/riftbound-champion
- Calculate booster box expected value at /tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I check current TCG card prices in Australia?
The C3 Card Vault shows live AUD pricing from eBay AU sold data across MTG, Pokemon, Lorcana, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragon Ball Super, Star Wars Unlimited, and Riftbound.
How do I compare card prices in Australia?
The C3 Card Compare tool lets you put up to four cards side by side and see current AUD buy prices, sell prices, and 14-day price trends simultaneously.
Where can I buy singles and sealed TCG products in Australia?
The C3 eBay store stocks singles across all 8 TCGs with Australian shipping. Sealed products are linked from the C3 shop.